UC IRVINE TRACK INVITATIONAL : Former Olympian Ashford Is Still Going Strong at 34

Evelyn Ashford came to the UC Irvine Invitational on Saturday looking for a little competition and some distance training.

Ashford, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter relay, said Saturday that her goal this season is to qualify for the World Championships at Tokyo in August and September. Ashford, 34, was a bronze medalist at the 1988 Summer Olympics in the 100 meters. She said she is tired of people making a fuss over her age.

“I’m just doing what I like to do,” said Ashford, who competed in her first Olympics in 1976. “I feel that I was born to run and if I wasn’t doing this, I’d be running Masters (meets).”

Saturday in the all-women’s meet at UC Irvine, Ashford didn’t look like a masters runner. She won the 200 meters in 23.20 seconds and ran on the 400- and 1,600-meter relays. Ashford didn’t find the competition particularly strong in the 200; she defeated runner-up Kathy Sambell of Australia by almost a second.

Sambell, who asked Ashford for her autograph after the race, was part of an Australian contingent competing at the meet. She finished in 24.16. Dee Dee Smith of the Southern California Sports Club was third in 24.42 and UC Irvine’s Desiree Bracey, who was fourth, was also timed in 24.42.

Ashford ran the 400-meter relay for the All-Star Track team, which placed fourth in a hand-timed 45.9. The Australian National team won the race in 44.7, followed by the Sports Club and USC.

In the 1,600 relay, the All-Star Track team was true to its name with Ashford, Grace Jackson, ranked seventh in the world in the 200 last year by Track and Field News, Lori Shaw, a former Cal State Fullerton runner, and Marsha Guialdo competing.

They won in 3:39.07 with Azusa Pacific second in 3:56.05.